princessponti

A Christmas Carol every year at Christmas :) ..just wouldn't be the same without it!!

(( hello Dogmatix! haven't seen you for a while, just wanted to pop in to say hello, hope you're well!! ))

There was a lot going on in the book, we all notice different things, that's why this forum is so great! We have a place to share them! xx

Kell Said: I noticed that too, it kind of blew me away at the time, that all roads lead to the same end, there was no escaping their fate. It was a very powerful image. PP! What a wonderful post!! I find myself now with nothing to add!! Lol!! I finished this book a few days ago, after putting it down for a few days as it just got too harrowing for me. You're right, with Vladek telling the story the Art, and with the additional dialogue between them, it did make the story such much more personal and affecting. That added to it being a true story and realising the long term affects that the war has had on not just individuals but generations too; incredibly moving. With the animalisation.. did you notice that there weren't any British people, apart from at the very end, there seemed to be a token jeep with a British flag, and two fish driving ..why do you think we are fish? I can't figure it out. I was thinking that the animals may represent terms commonly used to describe the nationality (such as frogs for the french). A colleague told me that dogs may be used for the americans because of a phrase 'yankee dog', I haven't heard of this though. I just wondered what people thought the fish meant (if anything!). My colleague again thought it maybe because we are a predominantly christian nation and the fish is the symbol of christianity. Any thoughts? ..my mum said that the British are 'wet fish' lol! ..ps.. Paula, don't be ashamed to say that you hope it was quick, I think that in this instance, it is all we can do to hope. It was a terrible, terrible time, and the more I find out the more horrified I get that this could actually have taken place (and that sadly, the world may not have learnt as many lessons as it should have). This book should be on national curriculums across the world!

Yay!! I'm glad you liked it!

Paula said: ...I feel he is resistant to talk to his dad on this as it's frustrating, he's dad clearly will not do anything to improve the situation, he can be so stubborn! Also, it seems Art has affection for Mala, I noticed once or twice that he has stood up for her. It is interesting, I hope he expands this bit of the plot later on! I agree with this too! During the war he seems so practical and on the ball, I really admire his character and presence of mind at this difficult time. Now that he has survived, it is like he still has the survival instinct in the back of his mind, for example by saving, and finding useful items to store away. I also like his strong sense of family, that he prefers to send things to others to make sure they are ok rather than spending his money on himself...my word though he's a crabby ole fellow! The story got a little too much for me last night and I had to stop reading.

Hi Betty! I can be very demanding sometimes! Sorry!!! ..I've wanted to talk the Lakehouse for ages and nobody seems to have seen it!!! Thank you for the post!! I really enjoyed the film too, like you I had read the bad reviews, but the draw of Keanu is always strong with me! If you over think the LakeHouse it has many, many, many plot holes, which I'm sure can drive you mad and ruin it for some people (time travel is just not an easy subject to carry off!). I just really enjoyed the romance of it, and didn't let the 'holes' spoil it for me. I like your take on the reason for them not being together, I'd never considered that before. It is quite hopeful isn't it, that a true romance exists; it's certainly makes it stand out as a movie. Anne Elliot is great, she is so grounded, I love her compassion and understanding and strength of character. For me Sandra's character in the Lakehous carries a lot of similarites with her personality traits as Anne; they are both nurturing and have let their lives slip them by a little in their dedication to others. Both become more alive by the romance with their 'captain'. (did I say this earlier? Can't remember!). I think I want to watch the Lakehouse again now so that I can figure more out!!... another one to rent I'd love to hear your thoughts if you do re-read the book (..by then I would probably forgotten and the cycle will begin again!!).

Wow! The animal question is really interesting once you start seeing other peoples views! To my mind, having completely different animals 'play the parts' of different religions/nationalities it really shows the segregation of the time. Even though every person probably looked pretty similar, the division of people was very apparent. The different animals in the story capture this perfectly! Obviously the cat and mouse thing works well. I personally haven't picked up on the pigs as a negative as I adore pigs () (..I can see how the Polish people wouldn't be so pleased though, now that you mention it!). Amy this " It could also be seen as comment on the faceless mass extermination of the Jews during the Holocaust: as what frequently happens to mice." made me go cold.. I guess this is one reason why we are reading it! ...plus "some critical commentators were upset at the possible suggestion of the Jews being equal to 'vermin'" ...Speigleman is talking about his own family! The critical commentators I imagine were looking for sensationalism as there is now way he would have slurred the Jewish people! This is what I was thinking too Paula "Initially I had thought that the prologue was included to show the difference between fleeting friendships and those of real friends who would put themselves in danger for you." ...I think I need to read further to see if it holds true! So far (and I'm not a very long way in..), I'm really enjoying Vladek's character as he tells the story. I think I mentioned earlier that I love his voice, the way his accent carries through in the writing and the way that he is so 'no nonsense' with his son and Mala. He also seems very determined at this early stage so I'm keen to see if this trait carries through. - I thought it was really funny when he first visited Anya's house and was checking her housekeeping skills and her tablets, such a different time! I'm looking forward to reading about he and Mala's story as they seem so unhappy together, I'm wondering if they were brought together out of convenience in a way. He's so mean to her! ..and it shows on her face, have you noticed the dark circles under her eyes? - the expressions are wonderful, so much can be portrayed with just the moving of Vladek's eyebrows!! It is quite chilling to read though, when they are in the 'striped pyjamas' with their one blanket, that's really how it was; and the winters are so cold. I keep thinking outside of the mice and into the real world and it's just horrible. ..it's a difficult book this one as I like to waffle on about drawings and characters, but sometimes I feel that it's just to flippant to not address the core of it.. I'm just going to write what comes into my head, I hope no-one minds (if flippant or serious) getting myself into a pickle!!

If anyone else reads this book, below are a few questions that have presented themselves to me whilst reading

Shooting Butterflies

I can imagine your granddad wouldn't forget this experience it's a horrible place. Does he ever talk about it? (I imagine it must be painful x) It's odd, when we visited it was part of an organised tour, so there was a big group of people and lots of other big groups of people being rushed round to see everything. I think because the day was so busy and rushed, we didn't really get the opportunity to absorb what we were seeing. I would like to have taken more quiet time to reflect, we didn't get any, so I think my experience was very different from your Dad's, in that I felt quite separated from where we were in lots of ways. We visited two sites (I think there are only two?), the first were 'proper' buildings, I think made out of old army barracks which they have now turned into a museum. Some of the 'exhibitions' are truely horrifying, just items collected from the last few days of the war, it helped us to see the scale of what happened, and at the same time makes your blood run cold. Also, the carvings on the cell walls were very moving. The second site is the one that really made me feel ill at the thought that human beings could do this to each other. I think that everyone should visit (particularly politicians), so that this grim period in history never repeats itself.

Have you ever seen Life is Beautiful, I love this movie, it takes a very personal account of life inside a concentration camp, so moving. The Final Solution sounds good too, particularly getting the perspective of the german soldiers, I imagine this is really interesting. Johnny and I went to visit Auschwitz last year and you just cannot get your head around the true enormity of horror of what happened.

Wow that's sounds like a wonderful book! Thanks Paula! When you spoke about it elsewhere I had no idea that the pyjamas were related to the concentration camps, it made me think of the aquafresh advert..that revelation sent a shiver down my spine! I've never been into history but recently encountering the personal histories (rather than the facts you learn at school) has really opened up my mind... and looking at the holocaust from a child's perspective sounds really interesting, I really want to read this one now!

It's a beautiful website!!

...Saying that, the Penguin ones look really pretty too!

The headline review ones! I love them! I really enjoyed reading Persuasion as it matched my lilac bedroom! ...I believe that 'plinky ponky' is in fact the technical term for this type of uninteristing, drab and annoying music.. I'm sure I've heard Mr Lloyd Webber use this phrase in interviews..

Thanks Carole! xx

MOTMPP, my id is the same as here! I'm nothing but predictable! I have no alter ego aside from this one...

Hi Carole, Welcome to the site, thanks for joining us! ..I was just wondering if you had a system for your writing, do you plough through in one stream of consciousness and edit/re-write afterwards or do you plan and write to a predefined structure? Do you know the endings before the beginnings? Thanks!

ooo.. there is a person with four of my books in their library.. and they are called 'SilverWraith' I thought it may be Wraith's Dad (as in a silver fox).. but I've checked, and it's a Wraith of the female variety...

The DVD's got really good reviews.. I'm thinking about hiring it, next time I'm feeling like something comforting to watch! I hope you find them! (your lucky grandson!)

This is really exciting! I've just looked at it now and have put on the four books that are in the room with me (too lazy to go downstairs!!).. can't wait to put the rest on.. what a great idea!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moondial-Siri-Neal/dp/B00004VVRZ It's expensive!!

I'm so glad it stood the test of time! ..I'm off to look up the moondial..